forced overtime??

Published

A quick question for all of you now struggling with OASIS and productivity.

How many of you are working more hours than you are putting in for?

Are you feeling this pressure, love your job, and thus more often than not, because of subtle pressure. not putting in for all the hours you have worked.

Thanks

Specializes in Home health.
Good Evening Ladies...

Yep.. the forced overtime.....off the clock. I have been guilty of working on my laptop on my weekend off because I didn't want to hear the lecture on "you need to watch the overtime". It's a bit difficult to keep the pt care, the new oasis, the supplies order, the labs delivered, the drs faxed ad naseum when unrealistic expectations are set by non medical personnel. The CEO's/Pres of homehealth companies who only look at spread sheets.

In an early post to this subject I stated the agency I work for had sliced and diced the field nursing staff to just 2 RN, 1 LPN for the week, and a RN for the weekend. Currently the census is almost 100. The pay is an hourly rate until the end of the month, which a pay for visit system initates. There is no point system....just number of visits... which 6 a day is the minimum. No consideration of mileage between pts or drive time. Thus far last wek I drove 55 miles admit a pt...at 8 pm at night!! This is after working since 7am that morning, traveling 150 miles. The office REFUSES to adhere to the policy that referrals after 4 pm will not be accepted. Homehealth is not 24 hr care, it assistance to the patient and family. What ever happend to hrs 8-5??

Im going off track......anyway.. I was so tired, worn out...and fed up to the point that I decided last Monday I would submit my 2 wks notice. Funny thing happened on the way to the forum... the LPN submitted her 2 wk notice. I didn't have the heart to turn mine in also.

So now... this office has only 3 nurses.....the central office's solution to the need of another nurse.????? A contract nurse... which costs double what the LPN would be.....

What is wrong with corporate manager that they cant figure out... nurses are people also? Not automatics which do not require food, rest or freedom from the pager?

I've gotten long winded.....I still haven't decided NOT to submit my resignation....its a matter of time...

In my opinion, that would have been the best time to hand in your resignation. I think it would have driven the point home and forced them to reconsider how they hand out assignments and compensate for their nurses time.

You're right, it's just a matter of time before you feel like handing in your resignation again. I don't see your situation getting any better, but I also agree that you need to have another job lined up before you resign as Caliotter suggested.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Health, MS, Oncology, Case Manageme.

I am so feed up with the forced overtime. As a salary employee, we have a point system with the SOC being 2 points and the D/C, ROC, recert = 1.5 points. All other visits are 1 point including high tech wound vac and IV's. This is just not right! It takes just as long to do a ROC as a SOC. And with Oasis C, the discharge and the SOC is longer but they are not going to increase the points. What? Am I working for free? I told my agency that I wanted to go to contingent status and get paid by the hour. Suprisingly they are letting me, because they don't want to lose me. At least with this change I can bill them for every minute I work!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, L&D, ICU, LTC, HH.

I am new to the home health work myself and I am concerned with all the time I spend at home charting. I traveled 585 miles this week and it is nothing to have 2 SOC, a Wound vac and a SNV all in same day. Drive like crazy because we cover several counties. I start at the office at 8:30 am and we can only get paid for 2 hours there. I rush around getting ready for calls, faxing labs, calling MD's etc. Then I hit the road and don't arrive home till 6:00 or 8:00 pm and end up charting till 12 midnight so I don't get behind. We are on the point system thing also. No over time. I just also started back for my BSN and thought I would have my evenings for study. I may have to with draw from school I am exhausted grrrr. I have to have the job. I came back after a leg injury and can't take the 12 hours running a floor at the hospital. School may just have to wait.

I am amazed at all the changes since I came back from disability. We get $20.00 an hour for office time, $25 SNV, $50 for SOC, and I think it is $40 for ROC.

To top all this off we have 2 RN's that are new grads and refuse to do lots of things they feel uncomfortable with so myself and the other RN get all the tough calls. It really gets rough.

~Willow:eek:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Willow

If you want to pursue your BSN, an extended care case or two would be a lot better for you. Go to that side of the house or find an agency that does extended care and the only charting you will be doing at midnight will be if you are working the night shift. For that matter, night shift is the shift you want, so, if the case is an easy one watching a baby sleep all night, you can do your studying with one eye on your patient. Just a hint.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, L&D, ICU, LTC, HH.

Thanks so much for the ideal. That maybe what I have to do.

~Willow

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Peds, Pediatraic Home Care, Infusion.

Forced overtime is HH case management. No union is a great deal for these agencies.

We give them our time and if you figure out your hourly pay with the hours you REALLY are working you will vomit.

Sorry -----

We work it because we need the job and because we allow ourselves to be pushed around. And because we are givers we get had.

Been there, done that. Just awful. Loved the job, loved the clients but the employer needs to go to jail-----------

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, L&D, ICU, LTC, HH.

Lol It's 1:15 am and I am just going to bed saw 3 WC patients, one Skilled visit and a SOC, drove 150 miles and charted till 1:00 am. They got their money's worth today. 4 $25.00 calls and one $50.00 call. Jeepers; I am going to have a talk with the boss tomorrow.

Night Guys and Good Luck

Love

~Willow the Sleepy One

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Lol It's 1:15 am and I am just going to bed saw 3 WC patients, one Skilled visit and a SOC, drove 150 miles and charted till 1:00 am. They got their money's worth today. 4 $25.00 calls and one $50.00 call. Jeepers; I am going to have a talk with the boss tomorrow.

Night Guys and Good Luck

Love

~Willow the Sleepy One

ouch, that's about min wage or less.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion